Author: Emin

follow not your desire for it will mislead you from the Path of Allâh.
How to erase sins… [Quran 38:26]
“You are Al-Thaahir so there is nothing above You. And You are Al-Baatin, so there is nothing below You.” If there is nothing above Him and nothing below Him, then He is not a body or in a direction, and He does not have physical specification.”
(Al-Asmaa’ wa Sifaat 2/391).
THE HOLY PROPHET (SALLAL LAAHU ALAIHI WASALLAM) SAID: "ALLAH WILL NEVER ALLOW MY UMMAH TO UNITE UPON MISGUIDANCE AND INCORRECT BELIEFS. ALLAH'S MERCY, BLESSINGS AND PROTECTION ARE WITH THE LARGEST GROUP OF MUSLIMS. AND HE WHO DEVIATES FROM THIS LARGEST GROUP OF MUSLIMS WILL BE THROWN INTO HELL."[TIRMIDHI]
Abu Bakr (Radhia Allahu Anhu) was asked to give a commentary about a Verse in Surah Abasa, he said what if I can not give it the true meaning that Allah intended, then which earth will accept me, which heavens will shadow me, where can I go, and what can I do?
If those who do not possess knowledge avoid the scholarly discussions, disagreement will end.
- Imam al-Ghazali rahimahu Llah
"When they see me happy, it Hurts them! Today people are not sad over their issues. They are sad over the hapiness of others" Imam Shafi

The modern day Khawarij cult “Daesh” in their latest propaganda magazine (i.e., Rumiyah Issue #10) once again clarifies and reaffirms about themselves that their cult was “established upon the same principles as the blessed Najdi da’wah state founded by the followers of the Mujaddid Imam Muhammed Ibn ‘Abdil-Wahhab“. It should leave no doubt for those still in denial.

Although they consider it a “blessed” Najdi dawa, the Prophet on the contrary said about Najd:

Narrated Ibn ‘Umar: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “O Allah bless us in our Sham! O Allah bless us in our Yemen.” They said: “And in our Najd” He said: “O Allah bless us in our Sham! O Allah bless us in our Yemen.” They said: “And in our Najd” He said: “Earthquakes are there, and tribulations are there.” Or he said: “The horn of Shaitan comes from there.” – [ Jami`at-Tirmidhi]

The month of Ramadān is the month of serenity and purity [shahr as-safā’], the month of fulfillment and fidelity [shahr al-wafā’]. It is the month of those who practice the remembrance of their Lord [shahr adh-dhākirīn], the month of those who endure with patience [shahr as-sabirīn], and the month of those who are honest and truthful [shahr as-sadiqīn]. So, if it does not have the effect of improving your heart — if it does not induce you to desist from the rebellious acts against your Lord, and does not make you avoid the company of troublemakers and criminals — what else can exert a positive influence on your heart? What goodness can be hoped for in a case like yours? What redeeming quality can survive in someone like you? What successful outcome can be expected from an individual like you?

Ibn al-Qayyim said: “ ‘Uthmaan ibn Sa’eed al-Daarimi said in his book al-Ru’yah that there was consensus among the Sahaabah that he [the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)] did not see his Lord on the night of the Mi’raaj.

Some of them excluded Ibn ‘Abbaas and said that he was not one of those who said that.

Our Shaykh says that this does not go against the facts, for Ibn ‘Abbaas did not say that he saw Him with the eyes in his head, and Ahmad relied upon this in one of the two reports narrated from him, where he says that he saw Himbut he did not say that that was with the eyes in his head. The wording used by Ahmad is the same as that used by Ibn ‘Abbaas (may Allaah be pleased with them both).

” The origin of the tashahhud and that it happened during the ascent of our Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) to heaven (the Mi‘raaj) is something for which there is no basis in Islam.

The scholars of the Standing Committee were asked:

Is the tashahhud that we recite in the prayer what the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said when he prostrated at Sidrat al-Muntaha during the Mi‘raj?

They replied: It was narrated that Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) said:

“The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught me the Tashahhud, holding my hand between his hands, just as he would teach me a Surah from the Quran:

‘At-tahiyyatu Lillahi wa’s-salawatu wa’t-tayyibat, as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha’n-Nabiyyu wa rahmat-Allahi wa barakatuhu. As-salamu ‘alayna wa ‘ala ‘ibad-Illah is-saliheen. Ash-hadu an la ilaha ill-Allah wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan ‘abduhu wa rasooluhu (All compliments, prayers and pure words are due to Allah. Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings. Peace be upon us, and on the righteous slaves of Allah. I bear witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger).’

This was narrated by the jama‘ah.

According to another version, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “When one of you sits during the prayer, let him say: al-tahiyyatu Lillahi…” … and when he came to the words, “wa ‘ala ‘ibad-Illah al-saaliheen”, he said: “If you do that, you will have greeted with salam every righteous slave of Allah in heaven and on earth.” And at the end he said: “Then let him choose whatever he wants to ask for.” Agreed upon.

Ahmad narrated from Abu ‘Ubaydah, from his father ‘Abd-Allah ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) taught him the tashahhud and instructed him to teach it to the people: “Al-tahiyyatu Lillahi…” and he quoted it.

Al-Tirmidhi said:

The hadeeth (narration) of Ibn Mas‘ood (may Allah be pleased with him) is the soundest hadeeth about the tashahhud, and is to be acted upon according to most of the scholars among the Sahabah (Companions) and Tabi‘een (Successors). Abu Bakr al-Bazzar said: It is the soundest hadeeth about the tashahhud. And he said: It was narrated via twenty-odd hadeeths. Among those who were certain about that was al-Baghawi in Sharh al-Sunnah. End quote.

Thus you will know that this format is the soundest that has been proven from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).

*With regard to whether the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) recited the tashahhud when he was prostrating at Sidrat al-Muntaha on the night of the Mi‘raj,we do not know of any basis for saying that he prostrated in that place on the night of the Mi‘raj.

“As for his saying: ‘Peace be unto you, O Prophet, the mercy of Allah and His blessings (السلام عليك أيها النبي ورحمة الله وبركاته),” these are three in exchange for the three with which the Prophet Sallallahu Alayhi Wasallam praised his Lord on the Night of Isrā (Mi’raj).”

“It has been narrated that when he (s) was raised above [for the Miʿrāj], he praised Allāh Most High with these words [i.e. al-Taḥiyyāt], whereupon Allāh Most High remarked: ‘Peace be upon you, O Prophet, and Allāh’s Mercy and His Blessings.’ He [i.e. the Prophet](s) responded: ‘Peace be upon us and Allāh’s righteous servants.’ Thereafter,Jibrīl said: ‘I testify that there is no deity but Allāh, and I testify that Muḥammad is His slave and messenger.’” [ Mabāriq al-Azhār 1/244 and Mirqāt al-Mafātīḥ under ḥadīth (909).]

This has also been quoted by Imām al-Qurṭubī in his Tafsīr from IbnʿAbbās with only a partial chain. Preceding the incident is a short academic discussion regarding whether the incident is related to the relevant verses or not.

“It is narrated from al-Ḥasan, Mujāhid and al-Dahhak that this āyah was in the story of Miʿrāj.

Likewise has been said in some narrations from Ibn ʿAbbās.

Some maintain that Jibrīl descended with the whole Qur’ān upon Muhammad(s) except for this āyah, because the Prophet(s) was the one who heard on the night of Miʿrāj.

* Others maintain it did not occur in the incident of Miʿrāj becausethe night of Miʿrāj had occurred in [the era of] Makkah; and this Sūrah, in its totality, was revealed in Madīnah.

Consequently,those who say it was in the night of Miʿrāj also say when the Prophet (s) ascended and reached the heavens in a lofty place, Jibrīl was with him until he [i.e. the Prophet(s)] had gone beyond the Sidrat al-Muntahā. Jibrīl said to him: ‘I cannot go beyond this juncture; none have been permitted to pass this point other than you.’ The Prophet (s)passed through until he reached the place which Allāh had willed. Jibrīl indicated to him [i.e. the Prophet(s)] to convey Salām to his Lord, so theProphet(s) said: ‘All verbal, physical and monetary deeds are for Allāh…’” The rest is as mentioned above. [Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī under [al-Baqarah: 2/285-286].

Imām al-Qurtubī seems to have taken it almost verbatim from Abū ’l-Layth al-Samarqandī, who mentioned it in his Bahr al-ʿUlūm ( 1/189 (d. 373 AH).

It has also been mentioned in a later work known as Ruh al-Bayān of Abū ’l-Fidā al-Khalwatī (5/21 (d. 1127 AH)

[ “Abdullah bin Saleh Al-Ijli, said he wanted to find out what it meantand went to a scholar named Al-Kisaai.
Who said it means blessings.

He wasn’t completely satisfied with the answer and so he went to another great scholar Muhammed Ibn-ul-Hassan Al Shaibani, he asked the same to him. He told that this is a word that we use to worship Allah.

Abdullah bin Saleh was still not satisfied with the answers then went toMuhammad Ibn-Idrees As-Shafi’ee

Imam Sahai’ee said: why do ask them you have to ask a poet they are not poet…

Imam Shafi’ee explained that when you enter into the court of a king, you offer royal compliments. This is the protocol and the compliments are exclusively for Allah.” ]

* Al-Bukhari (349) and Muslim (162) narrated from Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) the famous hadeeth of the Isra’ (Prophet’s Night Journey) in which it is reported that the Messenger of Allah (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: “Then Allah revealed what He revealed to me, and enjoined fifty prayers on me every day and night. I came back down to Moosa(blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) and he said: What did your Lord enjoin upon your ummah? I said: Fifty prayers. He said: Go back to your Lord and ask Him to reduce it… I kept going back and forth between my Lord, may He be blessed and exalted, and Moosa(peace be upon him), until He said: ‘O Muhammad, they are five prayers each day and night, for every prayer there will be a tenfold (reward), and that is fifty prayers.”

THE HADITH OF ISRA’ AND MI’RAJ:

COMMEMORATING THE PROPHET’S RAPTURE AND ASCENSION TO HIS LORD

Shaykh As-Sayyid Muhammad ibn `Alawi ibn `Abbas al-Maliki al-Hasani

[…]

Then the Prophet(s) saw his Lord,the Glorious, the Exalted, and he fell prostrate, and at that time his Lord spoke to him and said:“O Muhammad!” He(s) replied:”At your service, O Lord!”Allah(SWT) said:”Ask!(sal).”

The Prophet(s) said:

You have taken to Yourself Ibrahim as a friend, and You have given him an immense kingdom. You have spoken to Musa directly, and have givenDawud an immense kingdom and softened iron and subjected the mountains to him. You have given Sulayman an immense kingdom, and subjected the jinn and men and devils to him, as well as the winds, and You have given him a kingdom the like no one may have after him. You have taught `Isa the Torah and the Evangel, and made him heal those born blind and the lepers, and raise up the dead with Your permission, and You have protected him and his mother from the cursed devil so that the devil had no path by which to harm them!

Allah said: “And I have taken you to Myself as My beloved.”

The narrator said: It is written in the Torah: habibullah “Allah’s Beloved.”

Allah continued:

And I have sent you for all people without exception, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; and I have expanded your breast for you and relieved you of your burden and exalted your name; and I am not mentioned except you are mentioned with Me; and I have made your Community the best Community ever brought out for the benefit of mankind; and I have made your Community a mean and a middle; and I have made your Community in truth the first and the last of all Communities; and I have made public address (al-khutba) impermissible for your Community unless they first witness that you are My servant and Messenger; and I have placed certain people in your Community with Evangels for hearts (i.e. repositories of Allah’s Book); and I have made you the first Prophet created and the last one sent and the first one heard in My court; and I have given you Seven of the Oft-Repeated which I gave to no other Prophet before you (i.e. Surat al-Fatiha); and I have given you the last verses of Surat al-Baqarawhich constitute a treasure from under My Throne which I gave to no other Prophet before you; and I have given you the Kawthar; and I have given youeight arrows (i.e. shares in good fortune): Islam, Emigration (hijra), Jihad, Charity (sadaqa), Fasting Ramadan, Ordering Good, and Forbidding Evil; and the day I created the heavens and the earth I made obligatory upon you and upon your Community fifty prayers: therefore establish them, you and your Community.”

He has sent me as a mercy to the worlds and to all people without exception, a bearer of glad tidings and a warner; He has thrown terror into the hearts of my enemies at a distance of a month’s travel; He has made spoils of war lawful for me while they were not lawful for anyone before me; the entire earth has been made a ritually pure place of prostration for me; I was given the words that open, those that close, and those that are comprehensive in meaning (i.e. I was given the apex of eloquence); My Community was shown to me and there is none of the followers and the followed but he is known to me; I saw that they would come to a people that wear hair-covered sandals; I saw that they would come to a people of large faces and small eyes as if they had been pierced with a needle; nothing of what they would face in the future has been kept hidden from me; and I have been ordered to perform fifty prayers daily. And he has been given three particular merits: He is the master of Messengers (sayyid al-mursalin), the Leader of the Godwary (imam al-muttaqin), and the Chief of those with signs of light on their faces and limbs (qa’id al-ghurr al-muhajjalin). (End of al-Shami’s addition.)

What are you to read? You are read the Divine Majesty. You are to read the workings of Divine Power. You are to read the Divine inscriptions in this universe. Allah Almighty has helped us greatly to read these. In other words, Allah Almighty created this realm as a mirror [of the Divine attributes]. What great need human beings have for contemplation! How much are they to draw near to Allah Almighty through this contemplation and become fine servants and feel their helplessness. This is the kind of learning centre that Allah has established, this learning centre of the universe. It has been prepared for the human being.

Human beings and animals have been coming here since the creation of Prophet Adam, upon him be peace. Animals were created for human beings too, as were trees and vegetation. They will continue until the Last Hour. Their function will end at the end of the world. All of them will be destroyed at once and a new world will begin anew.

And so, the universe, from the micro to macro, from the smallest entity the atom, to galaxies, from the smallest creature to the most gigantic, in the sea, on land and in the air, all of these need to reflect to us the Divine Majesty of Allah Almighty.

Allah Almighty grants bits of knowledge: Physics, chemistry, and the like… Why does He do so? Why does He grant these to us and not to other creatures? From here we are to remember the Divine Majesty and the workings of Divine Power and exclaim, “Oh my Lord!”

How does a human being come into existence from a fertilised ovum? How do various devices come into being within them? How do these devices work? How many branches do these split up into in a lifetime? It is still not possible to gain insight into them.

This goes to show Allah Almighty – from the product to the maker, the cause to the Creator of causes, from the art to the artist. Of course, if one has a heart. If there is a heart, it is to develop. If there is such a heart, the eyes will then see.

iq’ra bi-is’mi rabbika alladhī khalaq

“Read in and with the Name of your Lord, Who has created.” (96:1) This verse will become manifest.

Such an eye is important. This eye is an eye connected to the heart. The eye here is an instrument, a pair of glasses. Both Abu Bakr, may Allah be well pleased with him, and Abu Jahl saw the Messenger of Allah, as did Abu Lahab. When they looked at Allah’s Messenger, everyone saw the feelings they held within their own selves. Abu Bakr saw his love and was struck with awe and admiration. Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl saw their own rancour and darkness.

So, Allah Almighty wants us to behold this realm of the universe with precisely such a heart, with a heart that deepens in such a way and proclaim, “Oh, my Lord!”

This is why a friend of Allah says:

“For the knowing, this realm is a journey of wonder (that is, the beholding of the workings of Divine power), while for the foolish – excuse my saying so – it is food and appetence.”

Sa’di Shirazi says:

“A single leaf on a tree is a record of experiential knowledge of Allah. For the foolish – pardon my saying so – all trees put together do not even amount to a single leaf.” They see in the same way other creatures do.

And so, this, or our heart’s advancement [depends on] our taking lesson from the universe. This is what began within the Prophet’s Companions. A huge tree emerging from a tiny seed, an animal emerging from a tiny egg, a human being emerging from an almost nonexisting entity… gave rise to a deep contemplation within the Companions. And a perception of the [final] stopping place of this realm being the grave developed within them.

The Qur’an is our book of instruction. It is a book of guidance for the pious and God-conscious. A miracle of speech. A universe that speaks and advises – the Qur’an. The universe is the actual, while the Qur’an the literal. In other words, the universe guides us in silence while the Qur’an guides us out loud. Two forms of guidance.

As for the Messenger of Allah: A great, endless blessing from Allah Almighty.

laqad manna l-lah

“Assuredly, Allah has done the believers a great kindness…” (3:164)

The greatest blessing is the Messenger of Allah. The summit of 124,000 Prophets. Every Prophet came to his people, while the Messenger of Allah, raḥmatan lil’ʿālamīn, a mercy for all the worlds, came to all humanity until the Last Day and for all time.

He was sent to all people, from the lowest echelon to the highest. The Messenger of Allah is a miracle of Allah Almighty within the human being. The universe is an operative miracle. The Qur’an is a miracle of speech. The Messenger of Allah is a miracle in the human being. There is no such second person, no second Prophet.

This means that Allah Almighty wants for us to know him closely. There are so many Qur’anic verses which describe the Messenger of Allah very closely.

Now, we cannot fill the ocean into this glass. It would overflow. Allah Almighty holds him up as an example for us in the Qur’an’s verses. That he is al-uswa al-hasana, the Fine Exemplar. For whom? A person can be an example for a peoples, an example for [members of] a profession. He, however, is an example for all humanity.

Thus, it is declared, “Surely Allah and His angels bless the Prophet…” (33:56)

Allah Almighty bestowed him as raḥmatan lil’ʿālamīn, a “Mercy to all the Worlds.” The angels beseech Allah for him.

“…invoke the blessings of Allah on him, and pray to Allah to bestow His peace on him, greeting him with the best greeting.” (33:56)

Ibn ‘Abbas, the Messenger’s paternal cousin, saw the Messenger of Allah as a child. He says that we need to engage in much contemplation especially in this month of Rabi’ al-Awwal. He states:

“Allah has never created any soul that is dearer to Him than Muhammad. For I have never heard Allah swear by the life of anyone else.”

Only upon the Messenger of Allah He declares in the Qur’anic chapter al-Hijr: “laʿamruka“. (15:72) He declares, “By your life (O Muhammad),” He swears upon his life.

Every phase of life… This was why the Companions were in a [constant] state of vigilance. They would tread the path upon which he walked. They would rest beneath the tree under which he rested. They would go and lean on the rock on which he leant during the Farewell Pilgrimage.

That is to say, by striving to emulate him in all their daily dealings and affairs, in their worship, etc., they sought to emulate him in all their other states.

wal-ʿaṣr (103:1). Allah Almighty swears by his Era.

He swears by his city. (See al-Balad, 1)

In the Qur’anic Chapter al-Yasin, Allah swears by his Prophethood. (See 36:3)

Again, Allah Almighty ascribes great value and esteem to everything gaining merit with respect to affinity with him, to the degree of this affinity.

He renders his lineage the most superior. He sanctifies his Noble Household. He demands that his family and relatives be loved.

He honours his tribe.

He renders his wives the Mothers of the Believers.

He renders Hamza the master of martyrs.

He renders the Noble Companions, people of piety and righteousness. He chose them from all humanity to be the Prophet’s Companions. And He presents them as an example to all humanity in the 100th verse of the Qur’anic Chapter at-Taubah.

He renders the era in which he lived the best era of the Children of Adam, the Era of Bliss.

He renders the Ka’ba the direction of his worship.

Allah Almighty takes upon Himself the protection of His Book, the protection of the Qur’an. In the Qur’anic verse that was recited, it is declared: “(O Prophet!) Move not your tongue to hasten it (for safekeeping in your heart). Surely it is for Us to collect it (in your heart) and enable you to recite it (by heart).” (See, 75:16-17)

He renders Madina Munawwara, the Illuminated City, a sacred precinct.

If we were to greet someone in our prayers, this would annul our prayer. But Allah Almighty makes us offer greetings to him in our prayers:

‘at-tahiyyatu li-llahi wa-s- salawatu wa-t-tayyibatu…

(All verbal worship such as glorification, praise and thanks and salutations, in addition to physical and monetary deeds and acts of worship belong to Allah.)

as-salamu ‘alayka ayyuha-n-nabiyyu wa rahmatu-llahi wa barakatuh

(Peace be upon you, O Messenger, and the mercy of Allah and His blessings!)

Then, from the Messenger of Allah upon us and upon the righteous servants of Allah… In other words, a prayer goes to those righteous servants from every single prayer that is offered.

In short, He bestowed much much more upon His Messenger. Allah Almighty even made his devil Muslim.

This goes to show that however much merit we can acquire in closeness to him, this is the extent to which:

lā khawfun ‘alayhim walā hum yaḥzanūn

“…[we] will have no fear, nor will [we] grieve.” (10:62) We would have entered into this sphere.

As long as we can become closely acquainted with the Messenger of Allah… And so the Companions came to know him closely and were stricken with awe.

What does Allah Almighty demand of us?

illā man atā l-laha biqalbin salīm

“…But only he (will prosper) who comes before Allah with a sound heart.” (26:89)

He demands from us a refined heart. Just as we are born pure, we are to become purified through our acts of worship, remembrance and the like. With a refined heart, a heart that has become purified Allah Almighty invites us to His presence, to His Paradise.

A heart that has attained rest. He declares: “O you soul at rest!” (89:27) There is no prior direct address by Allah Almighty to His servant in the Qur’an.

“Return to your Lord, well-pleased (with Him and His treatment of you), and well-pleasing to Him.” (89:28)

They are to be pleased with Allah. No saying, “Oh!” “Ugh!” or “Why!” They are to obey. And Allah will be pleased with them.

“And enter my Paradise!” (89:30) He declares.

Thus:

fa-alhamahā fujūrahā wataqwāhā qad aflaḥa man zakkāhā

“And Who has inspired it [the human selfhood] with the conscience of what is wrong and bad for it, and what is right and good for it – He is indeed prosperous who has grown it in purity.”(91:8-9)

Wickedness: everything pulling a person away from Allah is to be eliminated.

Piety and righteousness makes one a traveller to Paradise, while wickedness renders the person a traveller to the Fire.

This means that however much we can distance ourselves from the Fire is how close we become to Paradise. Now, this water is clear. It is water that has been prepared to drink. If a small amount of impurity falls into this water – these impurities are sins – the taste of this water would be entirely lost.

And so, the human being is told:

“Do not forget two things!” The Qur’anic instruction. The Messenger of Allah is instructed:

alā bidhik’ri l-lahi taṭma-innu l-qulūb

“Be aware that it is in the remembrance and of and whole-hearted devotion to Allah that hearts find rest and contentment.”(13:28)

“We are not to forget Allah Almighty.” We need to be aware that we are under Divine watch.

The second: “Not to forget mortality.”

kullu man ‘alayhā fān

“All that is on the earth will perish.” (55:26)

kullu nafsin dhāiqatu l-mawt

“Every soul is bound to taste death…” (29:57)

The human being is not to forget death.

They are not to forget Allah Almighty; they are not to forget death. The task will then become easier.

yaḥdharu l-ākhirata: They will, “fear the Hereafter.” (See 39:9)

This is because – all praise and thanks be to Allah! – we came [to this world] as Muslims, through the manifestation of the Divine Name (Al-)Hadi‘: The All-Guiding. But Allah Almighty does not give us a guarantee that we will leave as Muslims.

He declares: “…and see that you do not die save as Muslims (submitted to Him exclusively).”

“O you who believe! Keep from disobedience to God in reverent piety, with all the reverence that is due to Him, illā wa-antum mus’limūn, and see that you do not die save as Muslims (submitted to Him exclusively).”(3:102) This is what He declares.

Similarly, in another verse, in the chapter entitled Muhammad:

“…If you help Allah(’s cause by striving in His cause), He will help you and make your feet firm (so that you are steadfast in His cause and ultimately victorious).”(47:7)

This means that we are constantly upon slippery ground, until the last breath. Everything will end with the last breath in any case. There is no possibility of making amends in the grave or in the Hereafter.

And, “Forget two things!” it is stated. Allah Almighty is All-Merciful – Infinite Mercy. The Messenger of Allah is pitying, compassionate and merciful. The servant, too, is to be merciful and increase their acts of righteousness and good works.

“Forget all the good and charity you do for others.” Do not over estimate them. Do not let these give you a sense of self-conceit and arrogance.

Islam is against all forms of racism and bigotry. Racism is the belief that one race is superior to another, or one color of skin is superior to another, or the people of one country are superior to another. Such beliefs are the characteristic of pre-Islamic ignorance (jahiliyyah). In Islam, we believe all races are equal to Allah and the only characteristic that makes someone superior to another is righteousness (taqwa).

Allah has dignified all of the children of Adam, all human beings and all races in the world.

We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with definite preference.

Surat Al-Isra 17:70

Allah created different races and tribes so that different peoples would recognize each other and learn from each other, not so that the races would fight each other.

O people, We have created you male and female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most noble of you to Allah is the most righteous of you. Verily, Allah is knowing and aware.

Surat Al-Hujurat 49:13

In fact, Allah created different skin colors and languages as a sign of His creative power.

Verily, Allah the Exalted created Adam from a handful which He took from the earth, so the children of Adam come in accordance with the earth. Some come with red skin, white skin, or black skin and whatever is in between: thin, thick, dirty, and clean.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2955, Grade: Sahih

Righteousness is the only quality that makes someone virtuous in the sight of Allah, not race or skin color or lineage or country. This teaching against racism was delivered by the Prophet during his farewell sermon, indicating how important he believed it was to the message of Islam.

Abu Nadrah reported: I heard the farewell sermon of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said:

O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no virtue of an Arab over a foreigner nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?

Source: Musnad Ahmad 22978, Grade: Sahih

Uqbah ibn Amir reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

A man might say to another man that I am more noble than you, yet no one is made noble except by the fear of Allah.

Source: al-Adab al-Mufrad 898, Grade: Sahih

The Prophet would rebuke his companions if they ever denigrated people because of their race.

Abu Umamah reported: Abu Dharr reproached Bilal about his mother, saying, “O son of a black woman!” Bilal went to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he told him what he said. The Prophet became angry and then Abu Dharr came, although he was unaware of what Bilal told him. The Prophet turned away from him and Abu Dharr asked, “O Messenger of Allah, have you turned away because of something you have been told?” The Prophet said:

Verily, Allah has removed from you the pride of the time of ignorance with its boasting of ancestors. Verily, one is only a righteous believer or a miserable sinner. All of the people are the children of Adam, and Adam was created from dust.

O people, Allah has removed the slogans of ignorance from you and the exaltation of its forefathers. The people are only two kinds: either a righteous, Godfearing believer dignified to Allah, or a wicked, miserable sinner insignificant to Allah. The people are all the children of Adam and Adam was created from dust. Allah said: O people, We have created you male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most noble to Allah is the most righteous of you. (49:13)

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 3270, Grade: Sahih

Likewise, tribalism (al-asabiyyah) is forbidden in Islam, which is the fanatical adherence to ethnic loyalty even when it leads to oppression and injustice. The Prophet disavowed himself and Islam from anyone who acts according to the ideologies of tribalism.

Jubair ibn Mut’im reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

He is not one of us who calls to tribalism. He is not one of us who fights for the sake of tribalism. He is not one of us who dies following the way of tribalism.

Source: Sunan Abu Dawud 5102, Grade: Hasan

Malcolm X, also known as Al-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, was a famous African-American activist who struggled with the problem of race in America. At first, he embraced a path of extremism in his confrontation with white supremacy, but his heart changed when he performed his Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. In Mecca, he saw white, black, red, and all kinds of people joining the Hajj as one brotherhood. He wrote back to his friends in Harlem, saying:

America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white, but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color.

During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug, while praying to the same God, with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana.

We were truly all the same, because their belief in one God had removed the white from their minds, the white from their behavior, and the white from their attitude. I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too, they could accept in reality the Oneness of Man, and cease to measure and hinder and harm others in terms of their differences in color.

Muslims must spread the message of Islam to the peoples of the earth who still suffer from racism and tribal bigotry. Even among some Muslims, the scourge of racism exists and causes harm among communities. The only way to completely eradicate racism is to embrace the oneness of Allah (tawheed) and to accept its logical conclusion, the oneness of humanity.